Humbug (Warriors 89, Nuggets 81)

The Warriors found a way to beat one of the eight teams ahead of them in the West — on the road, no less. Given that outcome, Monday’s game against the Nuggets was a success. But the final score disguises a performance that was hardly confidence-instilling. The Warriors blew another big first-half lead. They had an ugly number of unforced turnovers, including 6 in the fourth quarter. They failed to execute on the little things that can make a big difference, like foul shots (10-18). Where the Warriors delivered — and barely secured victory — was on defense.

Granted, it’s easier to look good on defense when you have an opponent committed to taking early, off-balance three pointers — like the Nuggets did on multiple key possessions, including a run-killing heat-check by Nate Robinson with the Nuggets up by 5 early in the fourth. The possession before that mistake would be Denver’s high-water mark, and the Warriors gradually fought their way back into the lead. Thanks to some timely shots by Thompson, Iguodala, Curry and Lee in the final minutes, the Warriors pieced together just enough offense to get over the hump. Without the Warriors’ excellent perimeter defense (Denver shot 29% in the fourth) and solid rim-protection by Andrew Bogut, the anemic offense wouldn’t have been enough to win the game.

On offense, David Lee kept the team afloat for much of the game with another aggressive performance. He was instrumental in the Warriors building and early lead and helped break up later Denver runs with much-needed baskets. But before the 13-4 run to close the game, the Warriors struggled to find their offensive rhythm. In the first three quarters, Curry and Thompson shot 5-20 and the bench shot 7-17. Fortunately, Denver was even worse — Foye and Lawson combined to go 5-19 for the game. Andre Miller was a Warrior-killer, as usual, but Wilson Chandler was inefficient and Nate Robinson was relatively quiet. The Warriors were generally diligent running out on shooters and Bogut challenged countless shots at the rim. It was an encouraging defensive effort, even if it was against a short-handed, scattershot Nuggets team.

Given the Warriors’ early-season struggles, they should celebrate all wins — particularly against teams above them in the standings. But looking ahead to higher ambitions than simply sneaking into the playoffs, the Warriors need to focus on process, not just outcome. Their 89-81 win was an encouraging step in the right direction defensively, but defensive improvement was nearly inevitable with Iguodala’s return. In the other areas where the Warriors struggled in Iguodala’s absence — turnovers, bench play and the ability to maintain leads — this game provided no evidence of improvement.